Manchester City are on the verge of a deal to sign Cristian Ansaldi, 23, for £4 million from Rubin Kazan. The Argentina left back has helped his team to win consecutive Russian titles since moving from Newell’s Old Boys two years ago and played in the 2-1 victory away to Barcelona in the Champions League in October.
He would become the third left back the club have signed in the past year. Sylvinho, 35, who joined last summer, has been deputising in that position recently because Wayne Bridge has been out with a knee injury and may not return for another month.
Scouts from Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester City will make their latest checks on Victor Moses this weekend as the battle to sign the Crystal Palace youngster hots up.
The cash-strapped Championship Eagles have put striker Moses, 19, up for sale to raise funds.
And the Selhurst Park club are desperate to offload the starlet as they have had problems meeting their wage bill.
Moses, who has five goals this season, is valued at around £3.5million by Palace.
But Palace are willing to loan him out for the rest of the season in return for around £1.5m.
Representatives from Premier League clubs, including Man City’s football administration officer Brian Marwood, are due to watch Moses against Bristol City tomorrow.
Patrick Vieira joins Manchester City's £100,000 club
Patrick Vieira, one of the more formidable competitors to grace the Premier League, has returned to English football as part of Manchester City's money-no-object bid to be recognised among the sport's leading forces. The former Arsenal captain was in Manchester tonightto finalise the details of his contract and take a medical examination and has been lined up to make his debut in Monday night's game against Blackburn Rovers. Four and a half years since leaving England, the man whose clashes with Roy Keane came to epitomise Arsenal's rivalry with Manchester United will join the growing band of players at City to be paid in excess of £100,000-a-week, initially on a six-month contract but with the option of another year written into the terms. The 33-year-old has lost his place in the France national squad after being marginalised at Internazionale under José Mourinho and said he was returning to England to further his ambitions of playing in a fourth World Cup. "I set myself an objective – I want to go to the World Cup," Vieira, who has not played in a competitive fixture for France since September 2007, said. "The important thing for me is to go to Manchester City and to show the coach [Roberto Mancini] I'm the same player as when he was in charge of Inter." Vieira played his final match for Internazionale in a 1-0 victory over Chievo last night. "He was great in his last game for us," Mourinho said. "He is a player that we will certainly miss now that he is leaving. It was the best way to say goodbye to us and I wish him all the best in his new life."
City have not been short of accomplished central midfielders, with Gareth Barry, Nigel de Jong, Stephen Ireland and Vincent Kompany all in contention, but Mancini identified Vieira because he felt the club were short of a player in that position who had experience of winning the Premier League. Mancini has come to think of City as lacking natural leadership and Vieira, a veteran of France's 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000-winning side could conceivably take the captaincy from Kolo Touré, who is currently away in the African Cup of Nations.The arrival of such a high-profile player is the first major piece of business since the transfer window opened and nobody will be surprised that it is City who have made the opening move. Mancini is not planning the kind of wholesale changes that typified Mark Hughes's time in charge, but he now regards strengthening the team's defence as a priority and has identified another of his former players from San Siro, the Colombian Iván Córdoba as a possible target.The partnership between Touré and Joleon Lescott has been erratic, at best, and both players would be under threat of their places if Mancini can negotiate successfully with his former club again.
FACTFANS BOLLOX
Vieira's salary has been quoted in the morning papers ranging from £90k to £150k a week
WAG OF THE DAY- Danielle Bux
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TRANSFER BOLLOX
Defender Sol Campbell is set for a shock return to Arsenal, but only if manager Arsene Wenger sells Philippe Senderos in the January transfer window. Daily Mirror
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola is delaying signing a new contract with the club until they can guarantee the signing of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Daily Star
However, Spanish rivals Real Madrid are preparing to derail Barcelona's attempt to sign Fabregas. President Florentino Perez and director general Jorge Valdano have held talks about a £43m bid.The Sun
Liverpool have entered the race to sign Marouane Chamakh with the offer of a pre-contract agreement for the Bordeaux striker, who can leave the French club for nothing at the end of the season. The Guardian
Wolves have made a £3m offer for Hull winger Stephen Hunt.The Sun
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is willing to make Kenwyne Jones the club's highest earner if he can lure him from Sunderland, but is unwilling to pay the £11m the Black Cats want for the striker.The Times
Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who is now at Monaco, is closing in on a £2m move to Blackburn. The Sun
But Gudjohnsen is also wanted by West Ham and Tottenham.Daily Mirror
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan has blocked Austrian defender Emanuel Pogatetz's proposed £1.5m move to Greek club Panathinaikos. Daily Mail
Hull boss Phil Brown is chasing Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood, who is currently on loan at Championship side Newcastle. The Sun
Liverpool are expected to conclude a £1.5m deal for Atletico Madrid winger Maxi Rodriguez in the next 24 hours.The Times
And Reds boss Rafael Benitez also wants to sign Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici for £2m.The Sun
Winger John Utaka is set to start an exodus at cash-strapped Portsmouth by joining French side Sochaux. Daily Mirror
Defender Younes Kaboul is also expected to leave Portsmouth, with Sunderland keen on the former Spurs player.Daily Mail
Stoke City are considering a £1m move for ex-Wigan striker Amr Zaki, while Marseille enquire about Bolton striker Johan Elmander's availability. Daily Mail
West Ham want to sign striker James Beattie on loan but Stoke say they will only consider a permanent transfer.The Times
Aberdeen want to scupper Hibernian's attempt to sign Falkirk defender Darren Barr. Daily Record
YOUR ARE THE REF BOLLOX - Roberto Mancini
OTHER BOLLOX
Norwich manager Paul Lambert has emerged as a leading contender to replace Owen Coyle at Burnley.Daily Mail
Or Burnley want to talk to Simon Grayson about becoming their new manager. Daily Mirror
Swansea boss Paulo Sousa has also been linked with the vacant job at Turf Moor.The Guardian
In a bid to keep striker Kris Boyd at Ibrox, Rangers are promising to make him one of their best-paid players - on a salary of £18,000 a week. Boyd has been linked with moves to Birmingham and Middlesbrough.: Daily Record
Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney is set to become club captain next season should Gary Neville retire in the summer.The Sun
And United defender Rio Ferdinand could make his long-awaited comeback from injury in the home game with Burnley on 16 January.Daily Mirror
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti could offer the club's 21-year-old Slovakian Nemanja Matic the chance to take over the first team's holding midfielder role in the absence of Michael Essien and John Mikel Obi.
Daily Mail
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is so fed up with freezing conditions ruining training that will take his players to Dubai if Saturday's game at Birmingham is called off.
The Sun
